


A Vibrant Place

by Silfurskin



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: (I'm making an excellent first impression to this fandom), (I'm sorry Riku), 5+1, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Meetings, Love at First Sight, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate AU, chara death warning applies for two chapters, first five chapters are bad endings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 10:27:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15993317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silfurskin/pseuds/Silfurskin
Summary: How do I tell you the day I met you,my black and white world burst into colour.--5+1 soulmate AU where you see everything in black and white until you meet your soulmate (and when they die, the world goes back to black and white).





	1. fleeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm new to this fandom and to this site, and this is the first fanfic I've finished or published in many, many years. I'm not at all sure how I'm doing or if my writing is good or not, but let's hope this goes well. ^^" Anyway, a little background to this fic: this particular soulmate AU has been my favourite for years, I've always wanted to write it and was just searching for the perfect pairing to fit it. Then about a month ago I was listening to One Dream a few too many times in a row when it suddenly clicked that Iori sings "the world that was monochrome until yesterday". After that the first chapter pretty much wrote itself.
> 
> Also as a fair warning, I'm planning to rip your heart out the first five times in this fic. (Chapter six will be the happy ever after.)

**i. fleeting**

  
Everyone knew the legend about soulmates. Every child was taught about it in school by sixth grade at the latest, if they hadn't already heard stories from their parents or older relatives before that. All great love stories circled around the famed and magical moment of locking eyes with a stranger and suddenly seeing the world in technicolour for the first time. That was how you knew you'd met your soulmate, the one that was made for you and who you were destined to be with for the rest of your life, until they passed away and the colours before your eyes faded together with them. The pinnacle of one's life was to find their soulmate, their perfect other half. Their perfect happiness.

 

Of course it was mostly fairy tales, if Iori was to be asked.

 

Izumi Iori lived a perfectly ordained, monochrome life, and he was perfectly happy with it, thank you very much. He was an honours student in his high school, excelling in both sports and academics, and coveted to become the student council president on his final year. Keeping up with his grades and all the extracurricular activities, he frankly didn't have time to think about soft and silly matters such as love and soulmates. He'd have to graduate first, and maybe once he was settled in college or his working career, he'd meet his soulmate and start dating them.

 

If he even had a soulmate. Or was ever able to find them.

 

Iori's parents were soulmates, their interests and eccentricities perfectly aligned, and their love for each other still as ardent as the day they had first met over 25 years ago. Thus Iori knew that soulmates did exist. But he was also a realist. There were over 13 million people in Tokyo alone, and the chance of finding the one that would make colours burst before his eyes was minuscule, if not nonexistent. He knew most people never met their soulmates, instead eventually settling down with someone nice and marrying them, acquiescending to a quiet life of greyscales. Iori assumed this would be his fate as well. He was fine with it. He could be perfectly happy with that.

 

With these thoughts in his mind, he adjusted the strap of his school bag on his shoulder and stepped on the train to make his way home. He was tired, the student council meeting having dragged out far later than it should have thanks to the current council president's inefficiency (Iori couldn't wait to take his place next year and make the council run smoothly, in accordance to his high standards). The sun was slowly disappearing behind the tall buildings, and Iori remembered his parents telling him the colours of the sunset were the most beautiful of all. For him with his black and white vision, the diminishing light only meant his family's bakery would be closing soon and he'd have to hurry home to help his brother with the dinner.

 

Holding on to a ring to keep his balance, he swayed gently with the movements of the train, finally removing his eyes from the slowly darkening sky behind the window and letting his gaze sweep over the packed carriage. What caught his attention was a boy appearing around his own age, clinging to his own ring at the other end of the carriage, near the doors. He seemed to be furiously texting someone on his phone, completely absorbed in his own world. That was, until the train made a sharp turn.

 

The boy looked up in alarm, nearly losing his balance, and his eyes locked with Iori's. In that moment, in reality just a fraction of a second, time seemed to slow down around them. Colours bloomed before Iori's eyes, and the world became so bright that he felt nearly blinded. The soft glow of the sunset surrounded the boy with vibrant hair and brilliant eyes, making him look ethereal. The boy seemed to realise what had happened at the same time Iori did, and quickly stuffed his phone in the pocket of his hoodie, giving Iori a winning smile and a shy wave with his now free hand. Warmth filled Iori's chest and slowly rose to his cheeks as he gave a small wave back. _There it was._ What he had never expected to experience himself.

 

After a brief moment of hesitation and looking around, the other boy seemed to make up his mind. Daringly he let go of his ring and started making his way towards Iori, pushing through the packed train and offering inaudible apologies to the people who he bumped into. Iori could only watch, his heart beating thunderously and his air growing thin from excitement, frozen in place as his soulmate advanced towards him. What would be their first words for each other?

 

Then the train slowed down to a stop on a station and the people around them started to get off, moving towards the doors. The red-headed boy looked confused at first, then started struggling against the flow of the crowd, growing desperate in his attempts to push his way through, but eventually Iori lost sight of him. When the train started moving again, his soulmate was gone.

 

His carnelian eyes would haunt Iori for the rest of his life.


	2. carmine

**ii. carmine**

 

Iori had always been a calm and obedient child. He did as his parents told him, helped them with house chores without being asked, never acted out or raised his voice. He came straight home from school and completed his homework without help, maintaining top grades. He was the complete opposite of his older brother Mitsuki who seemed to have an extraordinary penchant for getting in trouble, be it about his below average grades, wandering off with his friends, fighting with the neighbourhood bullies (always to defend the younger children being picked on), or getting hurt while playing sports.

 

This was how they'd ended up in the hospital this time as well. Iori wasn't entirely sure of all the details, but one way or another Mitsuki had broken his arm while playing baseball with his friends. While their parents waited for the results of the x-ray with Mitsuki, Iori excused himself for a walk. If Mitsuki needed a cast (and Iori predicted that would be the case... it wouldn't be the first time), it could take quite a while and Iori only intended to use the bathroom in any case.

 

However, once done with his business, he was struck with boredom. Deducing that he would still have plenty of time before his parents would miss him, he picked one of the guiding lines on the floor to follow. As he only saw black and white, he couldn't be quite sure which one of them he followed, but with them he could always find his way back to his family. When he looked up again, he found himself standing outside the pediatric ward. With nothing else to do, he decided to peek in.

 

Inside was a waiting a room, one half of it filled various children's toys to make the smallest patients' wait bearable. The other end of the room had plushy chairs and low tables piled with newspapers and magazines. And in one of chairs sat a boy around Iori's age, dressed in hospital issued robe and slippers, engrossed in a thick novel. Iori was caught staring until the door he had come through slammed shut behind him, and both him and the boy startled the loud sound. The boy looked around himself, then at the clock on the wall and finally at Iori.

 

“Aaah, sorry the visiting hours have-!”

 

Eye contact, a blink, and the world burst into colour. Not that there were many colours in the hospital; it was white walls, white floors, and white ceilings with the occasional poster or mural to try and add cheer to the bleak corridors. But the boy before him had hair and eyes in the most beautiful shades Iori had ever seen. He gave Iori a smile brighter than the sun as he spoke again. “So you're it? You're my soulmate? You just saw colours the same moment I did, right?” His sparkling, gem-like eyes roved over the waiting room and back to Iori. “Your hair is still as black as it was a minute ago... but I can tell your shirt is a different colour. I like it.”

 

Iori could only stand frozen, petrified by the sudden change of the scenery around him and the emotions swelling inside him. Who would have thought he'd meet his soulmate today, in the hospital of all places. The other boy waited for him to move, to approach him, he guessed. When Iori only continued to stand in the doorway, the redhead got impatient, flailing his arms as he shouted. “Why are you just standing there?! Come on! Come closer, I've just met my soulmate, I want to know everything about you!”

 

What a cute person.

 

Finally Iori was able to unstick his feet from the ground, step by step walking closer to his destined other half. The boy only smiled wider as he advanced, and pat a seat next to him for Iori to take. When Iori sat down, the boy immediately took his hand, turning it around in his own in apparent wonder, the novel beside him now long forgotten. He turned to look Iori in the eye. “I'm... I'm sorry for yelling at you just now. I'm Nanase Riku, and I'm really happy to finally meet you!” He smiled again and Iori couldn't help but respond it with one of his own.

 

“I'm Izumi Iori. Um, I'm glad to meet you as well, Nanase-san.”

 

“Iori...” Riku said, tasting the name in his mouth, trying it out. His name sounded sweeter than ever before from his lips, spoken with such tenderness. It filled his whole being with warmth and joy, and despite still being young, Iori could imagine listening to his name being called like that forever. He wanted that, badly. Riku seemed to feel the same way, with a soft curve setting on his mouth as he gazed at Iori. “Iori, how old are you? Also, I like your eyes. I wonder what the colour is called?”

 

He blushed at the offhanded compliment much to Riku's amusement. “I'm 12 years old... And,” he coughed to compose himself, “my mother says my eyes are blue-grey. She called it a calm colour which I don't think sounds very interesting... I-I like yours better.”

 

“Thank you! Blue, huh... it matches your shirt.”

 

Iori glanced down at his shirt and found a soft blue colour. Was that the colour of his eyes? Maybe he could like that, it really was a calm colour. Riku continued talking animatedly. “I'm 13, by the way, so that means I'm older! And you said your mom can see colours? Your parents are soulmates? Mine too!”

 

They ended up talking about many things, including their families; Iori's family ran a bakery and Riku's parents had a club for performance arts. They found out they both had older brothers but Riku's was a twin. They talked about their hobbies; as Riku couldn't play outside much, he read instead, and Iori shared his secret passion for collecting Usamimi Friends. Finally Riku told him about his dreams for the future; after graduating high school, Riku wanted to pursue a music career like his brother while Iori admitted to still be undecided. He also found out the reason why Riku was in the hospital: he had asthma and had suffered a bad attack a few days previously. His parents had wanted him to stay at the hospital for surveillance.

 

Finally Mitsuki appeared at the door of the waiting room, showing off his new cast and scolding Iori for running off on his own. His family was ready to go home but had spent a good while trying to find him. Iori, uncharacteristically, let the lecture go in one ear and out the other, for he was caught staring at his brother's hair. It was a different colour from Riku's hair but just as vibrant. He liked that colour too.

 

“Nii-san, I'm sorry I have worried you. I lost my sense of time... I met my soulmate.” He motioned to Riku who was still seated next to him. Riku gave a small smile and wave.

 

“What, really?! That's him?”

 

Iori gave a nod and then flinched as his brother whooped loudly and rushed forward to ruffle his hair. “Oh that's great! My baby bro is growing up~ We gotta tell mum and dad, and once we get home we'll celebrate this with cake! Oh- I'm Iori's big brother, Mitsuki. Nice to meet you~”

 

Riku seemed to take Mitsuki's energy in stride, answering him with a smile just as wide, chiming his name and a 'nice to meet you' back at him.

 

As Iori collected his meager belongings from the seat he had occupied, Riku suddenly clung on his arm, giving him an unguarded, pleading look that made him stop. “Iori! Please come again tomorrow, I'm... I'm lonely without Tenn-nii here. And I had a lot of fun talking with you today!” He gave Iori another one of his sunny smiles as they parted. Iori made a promise he'd be back to visit Riku the next day.

 

Back at home he really did get his celebration, and for the first time he could enjoy his parents' cakes in their full vibrancy. He learnt yellow was often paired with tropical and citrusy flavours, and red with berries. A green cake could signify several different things; either fruits like apples or kiwi, or fresh and refined flavours like mint or matcha. He loved chocolate with its rich darkness and macarons with their soft pastels. And he learnt he liked strawberries even more than before as their colour reminded him of Riku.

 

He could hardly go to sleep that night – which was highly unusual for someone like him who maintained a careful sleep schedule – but could anyone blame him? He was riding on the crest of happiness, eagerly looking forward to many more days together with Riku.

 

But by the next morning when he woke up, the world had faded back to black and white.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first two chapters are pretty much just an introduction on how things work in this AU. I'm currently fighting with chapter 3, with chapters 4 & 5 also having been started. (I have a very disorderly writing style, basically working on all of them at once.) Depending on which one I finish first and how much I end up hating ch3, I might do another double update.
> 
> As for now, please leave comments below if you liked what I have this far. Feedback and concrit are welcome. At the very least tell me if I managed to keep everyone ic.


End file.
